Knowing the Factors Considered when Assessing Supplemental Security Income Claims

Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) is known as a federal program that provides cash payments in order
for the recipient to meet his needs for shelter, clothing, and food.

Disabled or blind people
who have no or insufficient income are entitled by the law to receive financial
help by filing a SSI claim. However, Social Security can reject claims that
failed to meet the different requirements that are imposed by it.

SSA will first assess the
following factors before it approves or rejects a claim:

Resources

Resources are the things
that you own including your real estate, cash, bonds, stocks, and bank
accounts. You may have a successful claim if the amount of all your resources
does not exceed $2,000. Meanwhile, the amount of your resources should not be
over $3,000 if you are currently married.

Social Security does not
assess everything that you own when determining if you are eligible for SSI
benefits. Examples of resources that it does not count include the following:

Your car.

Life insurance
policy, which is only worth around $ 1,500 or lower.

Burial plots that
you have purchased for you andyou
immediate family members.

The house where
you reside and the land where it is built.

Burial funds
worth $1,500 for you and another $1,500 for your spouse.

Income

Income is the amount of
money that you are entitled to receive including your Social Security benefits,
pensions, salary, and other things like shelter and food. You can still receive
SSI benefits, though you are receiving your monthly income, if the place where
you live in allows it.

Here are some examples of
income that are not counted by Social Security:

Food stamps

Most of your home
energy assistance

Shelter that is
provided to you by private non-profit organizations

If you are married, Social
Security will consider a part of your spouse's resources and income while it is
deciding if you are qualified to receive SSI benefits. Meanwhile, the agency
will assess a part of your parents' resources and income if you are below
18-years-old.

Here are other examples of
income, which depends on a person's status:

Blind or disabled-
if you are blind or suffering from other kinds of disability, Social Security
may not count a part of the income that you have saved or are using just to
undergo training or to purchase things, which can help you work.

Student-
Scholarships or wages that you receive may not be considered.

Sponsored
non-citizen- Your sponsor's resources and income may be considered.